Data Center Developer Appeals Digital Gateway Ruling, Trust Vows to Stay in the Fight

A statement from American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan

May 1, 2026

In the wake of the unfortunate news that data center developer QTS has chosen not to stand down its defense of the illegal rezoning behind the Prince William Digital Gateway, unlike the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and fellow developer Compass, American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan issued the following statement:

Save Manassas from Massive Data Centers — Manassas Battlefield by Rob Shenk | Data center image courtesy of Tim Aubry / Greenpeace

“QTS is clearly fighting a losing battle. Judges throughout this Commonwealth, including a unanimous panel at the appellate level, have repeatedly ruled that the rezonings for this monstrosity are illegal. Not even their fellow defendants are willing to continue such a futile defense.

“But since QTS insists on seeking the opinion of the Supreme Court of Virginia, we will meet them with the same strong legal defense — and fundamental resolve — that we have shown throughout this yearslong battle to ensure this catastrophic complex will never see the light of day.”

The Prince William Digital Gateway — with 37 proposed data center buildings, roughly the equivalent of 144 Walmart Supercenters — would have required 14 on-site electrical substations for operation and consumed enough energy enough to power over 2 million homes. Supplying electricity to such a behemoth complex would require vast webs of high voltage transmission lines across a region rich in historic and sensitive landscapes.

Manassas National Battlefield Park commemorates two critical battles of the American Civil War, the Battles of First and Second Manassas (also referred to as First and Second Bull Run). Together, the two battles resulted in nearly 27,000 casualties. While the presence of a national park demonstrates the significance of these battles, important historical events occurred beyond its modern boundaries, including on land that was slated to be the site of the Prince William Digital Gateway. Additionally, the proposed complex threatened the remains of those who fell and were laid to rest in unknown, unmarked graves.

Sadly, Manassas is not the only instance of a large-scale data center being proposed within the footprint of a nationally significant battlefield. The Trust is also currently engaged in litigation regarding the Wilderness Crossing project in Orange County, which would sit at the gateway to the Wilderness Battlefield unit of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.